Energy-producing nutrients
The nutrients that supply us with energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fat.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate |
Source |
Sugars |
Fruits
Honey |
Lactose |
Milk
Dairy products (milk sugar) |
Starches |
Corn
Wheat
Rice
Barley
Oats
Potatoes |
Slowly fermentable fibre like cellulose |
Wheat bran |
Moderately fermentable fibre |
Rice bran
Pea fibre
Wheat bran |
Rapidly fermentable fibre |
Apples
Citrus pulp
Guar gum |
Simple carbohydrates and starches in foods are used by the body as a source of glucose. As such, they have several major functions, they:
1. provide energy,
2. produce heat when they are metabolised for energy,
3. can be used as building blocks for other nutrients (e.g., certain amino acids, lactose (the sugar in milk) and vitamin C),
4. provide storage of energy in the form of glycogen or fat.